4 1/2 stars. You know those romance tropes that make you internally go, “oh God no” whenever you see them in a blurb? Everyone has different ones, of course, but chicks in pants is one of mine. Strangely enough, in the right hands those tropes sometimes make the best books — Heyer’s The Masqueraders is a long time favorite of mine, and now there’s The Lady’s Secret, which also makes a chick in pants utterly sublime.

Willaful

Sublime!

4.5 stars – The writing is quite exceptional, especially since this is a debut. The story somewhat predictable, (after all, it is a romance) but stll fresh. The delivery entertaining. The fact that I was reading Elizabeth Hoyt’s Scandalous Desires at the same time, and found it in no way overshadowed this debut, is testament to the enjoyment I got from this novel. There were some great moments of humour, especially (as expected) when Nathan felt curious interest in his young valet. But this was not overdone nor heavy-handed. A very impressive debut and I will be reading the next novel by author Joanna Chambers.

Jill

Exceptional!

4.5 stars. Really enjoyed this one. I wasn’t too sure at first since I’m not a fan of the female-dressed-up-as-a-male trope, but it was well done here. Chambers creates two wonderful characters and gives them ample time and opportunity to fall in love with each other. There were some interesting descriptions of class here, and just a touch of ‘Downton Abbey’ involved. Overall, a great historical read, and one that I’m fairly certain I’ll want to read again in the future.